A Good Country Wife
Chapter 535 - 529_1

Chapter 535: Chapter 529_1

Huangfu Jing could not fail to notice Feng Yinan’s reluctance, but it was not his fault for being an Emperor with such shallow patience. Coveting a mere hundred thousand taels of silver, it was truly due to the national treasury’s tight funds. Who could have imagined that he, as an Emperor, would be so poor? When the snow calamity hit, there wasn’t enough silver in the treasury, so he even had to allocate two hundred thousand taels from his privy purse. Furthermore, every single policy benefiting the state and the people at Court required financial support, didn’t they?

It wasn’t just the Princely Heir of Marquis of Zhenbei who thought silver was a good thing; even the Emperor found it hard not to set his sights on it. Besides, hadn’t the Princely Heir stated that the only reason he earned a mere hundred thousand taels of silver was due to insufficient capital? If they shipped several cargoes to the barbaric countries overseas in one go, they would surely make much more. Moreover, there were resources in his national treasury, like the tea leaves and porcelain contributed from all regions, and a part of the Imperial Household Department could be allocated to specifically produce these goods for sale to the barbaric countries overseas. It was indeed a very good avenue for generating revenue. Besides, there was no rule stating that you could only go overseas once a year; it was possible to make two or three trips.

The more Huangfu Jing thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. His gaze towards Feng Yinan grew increasingly fervent, his bright eyes shining like those of a wolf that had spotted meat, creating a great deal of pressure on Feng Yinan. In his heart, he complained, "Your Majesty, could you be a bit more reserved? As the supreme Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, such behavior is truly unbecoming."

"My minister, perhaps you could discuss more about the overseas matters with Us, and what sorts of goods you’ve sent to trade in the barbaric countries?" The Emperor maintained his usual affable and approachable demeanor, smiling kindly at Feng Yinan as he spoke. This intent to chat was also the Emperor’s means of probing for information. It wouldn’t be appropriate to state it openly, but as a minister, one must grasp the Emperor’s intentions. Whatever the Emperor wished to know must be reported in full detail; otherwise, one would not be able to perform well in office. At the very least, to get promoted, one must flatter and serve the Emperor well, and of course, one must also have the ability and means to do so.

Feng Yinan did not want to remain silent; initially, he had spent a lot of thought and silver bribing his way to his current position, and all of that was nothing compared to a single word from the Emperor. If the Emperor chose to favor someone for promotion and wealth, it was naturally taken for granted, and others could only show respect. However, Feng Yinan truly did not understand much about what the Emperor was asking.

His primary responsibility was to facilitate relations between the Court and the maritime trade, ensuring that merchant fleets could sail unobstructed. As for the rest, aside from the goods funded from his private treasury and those purchased from the south, he was not too clear, for he had entrusted everything to Zhao Erhu and did not interfere too much, lest Zhao Erhu would think that he did not trust him. However, Zhao Erhu was meticulous in handling affairs; he kept the purchasing ledgers in perfect order, but Feng Yinan did not plan to show these ledgers to the Emperor. After all, the numbers he declared were not accurate, and even if he were to show the Emperor, it would be after the accounts had been adjusted.

Since he could not provide an answer, Feng Yinan decided to speak honestly, to avoid the Emperor thinking him insincere. After all, the current Emperor was quite sagacious and probably would not blame him. Attempting to display competence by carelessly responding could result in mistrust and annoyance from the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, I am in charge of supplying the silver for purchasing goods and establishing connections. As for these matters, Zhao Erhu is responsible for them, including procuring goods and leading the merchant fleet out to sea. Therefore, I am not very clear about these things. If Your Majesty wishes to know, you might consider summoning Zhao Erhu to inquire. I’ve also heard Zhao Erhu mention the customs and culture of those foreign tribes, which indeed differ greatly from our Dazhou."

Huangfu Jing had already inquired and knew that these matters were Zhao Erhu’s responsibility. It was a pretext to broach the subject. "Since that’s the case, then summon Zhao Erhu to the palace. Speaking of which, We are also interested in investing in this venture. What does my minister think?"

"That would be most excellent, most excellent indeed. With Your Majesty’s investment, who would dare to target our merchant fleet? It’s just that, Your Majesty, Zhao Erhu is currently not in the Capital City. He’s residing in his hometown, Zhao family’s village in Xin’an City. If we summon him, it will take some time."

Feng Yinan would not hesitate with a response when the Emperor showed interest in investing; even if the Emperor wanted to take over the business directly, he would not dare to disagree. Naturally, he assented without hesitation. But this also had its advantages; the silver needed for bribing relations at Court in the future could be spared. With the Emperor in on the business, who would dare to cause trouble? That would be tantamount to seeking death. Previously, he worried about attracting unwanted attention by becoming too prominent, but now it was natural to make the business as big as possible.

"There’s no rush; there’s still plenty of time. The ice on the sea has not even melted yet. Even if Zhao Erhu were to hurry over, we could not set sail immediately. However, it’s good to prepare early to avoid any delays later. The state treasury is currently strapped for cash, and we urgently need a good source of income."

Hearing this from the Emperor made Feng Yinan sweat internally. "Your Majesty, You’re quite hasty. You’ve only just invested, and You’re already thinking about dividing the silver. Besides, preparing the goods is not a matter of a sentence or two; just getting ready will take at least a few months from start to finish."

Although Feng Yinan thought this way, he did not dare to say it directly. He had to phrase it more diplomatically. "Your Majesty, You’re right; however, the preparations for setting sail are not simple. The procurement of goods has its own methods, and not everything from Dazhou may sell well there. We need to know what the foreign tribes need to fetch a good price. Moreover, some goods are challenging to prepare this season. If we were to sail out, at the very least, it wouldn’t be possible for another two to three months."

Huangfu Jing felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this; it was the incompetence of those at the Ministry of Household that had caused the strain in the treasury, which in turn made him look for ways to increase revenue and reduce expenditures. "What my minister says is true; I have indeed been too impatient. Everything must follow a certain procedure. In that case, go draft a memo for Us. We want to expand this maritime trade. The handful of people you have will not suffice. We shall consider allocating staff for this purpose."

Feng Yinan was not surprised by the Emperor’s words; since the Emperor was now involved, it was natural for him to assign officials to oversee the operation. However, Feng Yinan was also somewhat concerned. Those under him would obey his commands and follow Zhao Erhu’s arrangements, but if someone sent by the Emperor came, it was not that he doubted the Emperor’s wisdom. It’s just that the Emperor had not been on the throne long enough to replace his subordinates, and most officials at court now were arrogant. Their competence was uncertain, yet they were adept at issuing orders and taking advantage of their position for profit. What had been a promising business could take an unexpected turn if these people got involved.

Seeing the worried expression on Feng Yinan’s face, Huangfu Jing understood what Feng Yinan was concerned about. Since he relied on this maritime trade to make money, he would not allow useless fools to ruin his endeavor. He was acutely aware of the current state at Court better than anyone else. Even though he was aware of the Court’s malpractices, he had to address them gradually. The Court faced both external threats and internal troubles, and drastic measures could severely harm its vitality. Moreover, there was one more crucial reason: the empty national treasury left them without a solid foundation to take action.